Gilead has purchased an oral IL-23R inhibitor program from PepStar Therapeutics, growing its inflammation pipeline to address unmet patient needs.
IL-23R is a clinically-validated target in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. It could provide a differentiated approach to IL-23 pathway inhibition to treat diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and potentially psoriasis. The lead asset of PepStar’s program is HCXT-2001. Currently in phase 1 clinical trials, it is an investigational, clinical-stage, macrocyclic peptide inhibitor with an extended half-life.
Gilead is acquiring the program for $1.275 billion upfront, with an expected close date of Q4 of 2026.